BCPS Lighthouse Schools
  • Home
  • Schools
  • Reflections
  • Journeys
  • Learning
    • Learner-Centered Environments
    • Nights of Innovation
    • Summer Institutes
  • Press
  • #BCPSLH

Executive Functioning and the Coaching Conversation

2/26/2018

1 Comment

 
Submitted by Casey Markilinski
​Social Studies Department Chair, Chesapeake High School
Like all professional educators, my main focus as a teacher has always been to deliver the best instruction every day for every student in my classroom. In order to improve my instruction and accomplish my goals, I began the coaching cycle with Maggie Cummins, our STAT Teacher.  This process has not only influenced my teaching and impacted my students, but has also been a major influence in shaping the feedback I provide to my department members as Department Chair. 
Picture
The coaching cycle began with Maggie visiting my classroom to script a lesson. She came into my classroom to observe students during a collaborative group assignment. After reviewing directions with students, I spent most of class visiting groups to assist them in researching how the discovery of silver in South America impacted the native population, Spain, and the international economy. 

After this initial visit, I met with Maggie to review the transcript of my lesson and to discuss the goals for my instruction and my students. Before diving into the coaching conversation, Maggie asked me to read through the transcript from her visit. This was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to take a subjective look at my instruction and my role in the classroom. One of my instructional goals is to create a student-centered classroom in which students are collaborating to research historical topics and answer research questions that they have constructed. After reviewing this transcript, I realized that there were many instances in which I was assisting individual students with accessing content and using research databases. Though I was helping my students, I was realized through my conversation with Maggie that I was spending a majority of time helping my students overcome executive functioning barriers instead of truly facilitating collaborative learning. In order to truly create a collaborative, student-centered classroom driven through research and application of historical thinking skills, I needed to focus on an additional goal. I needed to work to alleviate issues with executive functioning to empower my students instead of assisting each one of them when they hit similar roadblocks.
Picture
Picture
​As a result of this initial conversation and the coaching conversations that have followed, I have been able to reflect more clearly on the successes and areas of growth within my instruction in order to accomplish my goals. I have worked diligently to create executive functioning supports for historical research assignments. Through participating in the coaching cycle, I have been able to more clearly and subjectively reflect on my own teaching practice to impact my students in a more powerful way and act as facilitator during inquiry-based research assignments.
Picture
Picture
​As a Department Chair, I strive to create a professional learning environment for my staff members that encourages risk taking in the name of providing the best education for students. I want the teachers in my department to feel supported in their efforts, and I view the informal observation process as one means of providing this support. Beginning the coaching cycle with our STAT Teacher has undoubtedly helped me to improve my own observation and feedback for the teachers in my department. I am better able to focus on their instructional goals when providing feedback and am working to craft questions that inspire more meaningful self-reflection. Experiencing the coaching cycle has enabled me to not only develop tools necessary to improve my own instruction, but to support my department members in reflecting and accomplishing their own goals.
1 Comment
Scott Kotarides
3/1/2018 10:01:17 am

Great stuff! Thank you for sharing. Maggie is a great STAT teacher and coach. I love that you have given the members of your department the ability to take risks without being penalized. I also think this experience with Maggie will make you a better observer and coach with your own team.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Reflections from teachers, administrators, and students at the Lighthouse Schools.

    Categories

    All
    Administrator
    Art
    Community Engagement
    Counselor
    Digital Citizenship
    Digital Tools
    Flipped Learning
    Language Arts
    Learner Centered Environment
    Maker Learning
    Math
    Music
    Personalized Learning
    Physical Education
    Professional Development
    Project Based Learning
    Real World Connections
    Research Skills
    Science
    Small Group Instruction
    Social Studies
    Student
    Teacher
    Technology

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

Team BCPS Logo

© 2015 Baltimore County Public Schools. All rights reserved. 

Proudly powered by Weebly